Refrigerator drawer



Nov. 12, 1935. P. s. HURLBJJRT REFRIGERATOR DRAWER Original Filed July 10, 1935 llllll Patented Nov. 12, 1935 nsrnronaaron naawnn Philip S. Hurlburt, River Forest, 111., assignor to Watson H. Hurlburt, River Forest, Ill.

Application July 10, 1933, swarm. 679,605 Renewed April 3, 19:5

5 Claims.

My invention relates to a cover with a dish sliding under said cover, said cover attached to the underside of a shelf" or other support, but preferably the shelf of a refrigerator as customarily made of spaced metal bars, the attachment to the support being by means of a light clip or clips with a spring action against the sides of the cover, and easily detached therefrom and contacting with the support. The clip or clips lying flat, or nearly so, form no obstruction to ordinary use of the shelf for placing any other dishes or articles immediately over my cover or dish.

By means of this novel arrangement I am able to utilize space that otherwise is of no benefit.

The principal objects of. my invention are first,- the utilization of the ordinarily unused space between two shelves or supports. Secondly,a deflnite location of my sliding container with the contents which it maybe deemed best adapted, as butter or other commodities; thirdly,--when my container is drawn out for any purpose a snag intervenes as a warning against a further removal, to prevent a crash. Other objects and advantages will become apparent as I proceed with the description.

The preferred construction as outlined in my invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which similar numerals refer to similar parts in the different views.

Fig. l is a perspective view of a container and its cover showing the spring clip in position.

Fig. 2 is a cross section on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section on line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a partial cross section of my container attached to a support without openings.

Fig. 5 is a partial longitudinal section the dotted portion indicating how the container may be tilted to play past the snag.

Fig. 6 indicates how a spring clip before being formed may be blanked with a multiplicity of fingers, the holding capacity may thus be increased to any extent with equal resiliency.

No. l is the container which may be of any appropriate material, as metal, glass, porcelain, etc., having ribs about the upper edges 2, which form runners whereby channels 3, at the sides of the cover 4, enable me to slide the container in or out easily, at the same time being a means for supporting the container. As the container is pulled to the front, instead of" immediately dropping off the supporting channels, I provide a projection as at 5, looking downwardly that shall snag the edge 6 of the container, thus warning the user of the near approach of the end. I do not intend this as an absolute lock, but as a partial stop which may be easily overcome by raising the front end of the container when the edge readily passes the snag and-can be wholly withdrawn, as indicated by the dotted lines I, Fig. 5. I

Projections 8, in the cover 4, form an obstruction to the easy withdrawal of the cover from its normal position near the edge of the shelf, as it is the object to have this element resist the friction of the container while being withdrawn. My 10 spring clip 9, being of suflicient spring tension that when the fingers Ill, shall have been formed over the sides of cover 4 hold it against disengagement, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 4.

It is quite desirable to-have my spring clip quite l5 resilient, while at the same time of. a proper strength to take care of the weight of the commodities located in my container. I am enabled to do this and at the same time not increase the number of parts by bifurcating my clip. Should it be necessary to use a stronger spring clip but not diminish its resiliency, a further division may be carried out as at H), Fig. 6, ad infinitum. The width of the spring being increased as desired for the multiple divisions are obtained by cutting as at 9a, extending from the ends towards the middle leaving an uncut space as at 9b, in resisting the downward pull the separate parts I 0 act as a unit, while each individually may be snapped on. H is the main element of a common form of refrigerator shelf forming the outer edge. To retain the position of my cover at the outer edge of the shelf I curve upwardly one end of my cover as at I 2 and together with its projections 8 which prevent an outwardly movement, I am enabled to keep the location of my cover in a semi-permanent position, as the clamping action of spring clip 9 retains my cover closely against the under side of II and spaced supports l3.

In the event that the supports available have no open work, in other words have an unbroken plain surface, I may perforate my spring clip as at M, and by use of screws or other means I may attach my clip in this manner to the member l5,

raised parts to impinge against parts of said shelf for the purpose of locating said cover in a definite relation to said shelf, said cover having channels formed in the sides thereof to accommodate ways formed on the edges of a container to allow said container to slide back and forth therein, said cover having a projection designed to snag said container near the end of its travel outwardly.

2. Means for supporting a container beneath a shelf comprising a spring clip, means for attaching said clip heneath said shelf, the spring clip having downwardly and inwardly projecting resilient fingers, said fingers lying under the edges of a cover and being individually detachable from the edges oi said cover, without any endwise movement taking place, a cover engaging the fingers of said clip for the purpose of being supported thereby, and a container having projecting members coacting with portions of said cover that are bent downwardly and inwardly, said container supported in sliding relation to said cover.

3. Means for supporting a container beneath a shelf having openings which allow projecting portions of a spring clip to protrude therethrough, said projecting parts of the spring clip having downwardly and inwardly projecting resilient fingers, said fingers under the edges of the cover, and being individually detachable from the edges of said cover without any endwise movement taking place, a cover engaging the fingers of said clip for the purpose of being supported thereby, and a container having projecting members soacting with portions of said cover that are bent downwardly and inwardly, said container supported in sliding relation to said cover.

4. Means for supporting a container beneath a shelf, having open spaces, through said open spaces of which a multiplicity of parts of a spring clip project, said parts bent downwardly and inwardly to support a cover, said parts being capable 5 individually of opening outwardly, thus severing contact with said cover, a cover, edges of which lie in the embrace of a multiplicity of resilient fingers of said clip to be supported thereby, said cover provided with means for contacting parts of said shelf for the purpose or definitely locating on said shelf, a container projections on which coact with downwardly and inwardly projections on said cover to support said container in sliding relation to said cover.

5. Means for supporting a container beneath an open work shelf, comprising a spring clip, projecting parts of which protrude therethrough, said, parts of the spring clip being downwardly and inwardly projecting resilient fingers, said fingers lying under the edges of a cover, said fingers being capable individually of opening outwardly, thus severing contact with said cover without the necessity of any endwise movement taking place, a cover edges of which lie in the embrace of a multiplicity of resilient fingers of said clip, to be supported thereby, said cover being provided with means for contacting parts of said shelf for definitely locating it on said shelf and means provided on said cover to snag the edge of a container to momentarily arrest the outward movement of said container, a container, projections on which coact with downwardly and inwardly projecting portions on said cover to support said container in sliding relation to said cover.

' PHILIP S. HURLBURT. 

